Christ in Me!
Dear Friend,
On March 17th many around the world celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. In his honor, a member of our church read his Breastplate Prayer. It reads:
I arise today Through God's strength to pilot me; God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's hosts to save me Afar and anear, Alone or in a multitude. Christ shield me today Against wounding Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. I arise today Through the mighty strength Of the Lord of creation.
As I listened to these words, especially the portion about Christ being all around, I tried to envision a life lived in which Christ encompassed every part of my being and spacial existence. I would imagine that one of the fruits from living in such a way would be unexplained supernatural phenomenon. Phenomenon like the retelling that occurs in John 5 of the paralytic man that had waited for 38 years to be healed. 38. Jesus arrives on the scene and immediately he is healed. Let’s review the story:
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, [a]Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, [b]paralyzed, [c]waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
John 5: 1-9
This man was not doing anything wrong. In fact he was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing. He believed in the healing, he layed near the pool where he knew he could receive the healing, and he knew the law and procedures that were necessary for him to follow in order to receive the healing. I would even go as far as to point out that where this man laid his body was holy ground. We know this because others had gone before him into this pool and had been healed. Yet still, he lay there for 38 years.
Then my friends, Jesus arrives. Jesus arrives and all law (both man-made and supernatural), all normality, all predictably, all sensibility; ceases to exist. He simply asks to know the man's heart, and once he does, he heals him.
I believe that if you allow Christ to encompass all of you (before, behind, beneath, above, right, left, all around) you will in fact begin to experience His supernatural power. This power cancels out anything you could imagine.
“I don’t have my M.ED they’ll never give me the job;”
Oh but Christ in me...
“I’ve done too much damage in my marriage it’s beyond restoration;”
Oh but Christ in me...
“I took so much out in student loans I’ll be in debt for quite awhile;”
Oh but Christ in me...
“The doctors say I only have three months to live;”
Oh but Christ in me…
“I’ve had this limp in my leg for 10 years;”
Oh but Christ in me…
Christ in me.
Christ in me.
Christ in me.
My friends Jesus has stepped onto the scene. He flips the script. In fact, he wrote a new one. In Him, absolutely NOTHING can stop you.
I leave you with Jesus’ words to his disciples when they returned from their first mission:
“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.”
Luke 10:18-19
Abundantly With Love,
The Anonymous Wife
